FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[robertgoulet]

NCC's roster is up:

http://northcentralcardinals.com/roster.aspx?path=football

No Spencer Stanek.    Maybe that's old news?

Interesting.

No comment.  Let's just say he won't be playing this year.   

This is indeed interesting. I'm not as plugged in as I have been so I had not heard of this. I was anticipating Jordan Tassio moving from RB to QB (the position he played in HS) after last season, but it looks like he's still listed as a RB.

The 6-peat is on the shoulders of Crackel and the freshmen QBs. Good news is, there's a couple of very good freshmen. Max Matthews from South Bend St Joe's in IN and Tyler Dicken from Bloomington HS in IL, most notably (the latter's first cousin is former Purdue QB Billy Dicken). The freshmen obviously have talent, but if Crackel goes down will they be able to lead?

[Pat Coleman]

So yes, Kickoff 2011 has been released and is getting rave reviews:

• "An amazing amount of super intriguing stories- how will I work the rest of the day!!!!"
• "I think it's easier to navigate ... there seems to be a bunch more photographs than in the past."
• "Well done- you should charge more $$$$."
• "The product keeps getting better every year.  Tons of fantastic content as always."

Kickoff supports the operations of all of our sites. It's the only content we charge for all season. Thousands of fans over the past seven years have recognized this and we hope you will agree:

Get Kickoff 2011!

[robertgoulet]

So yes, Kickoff 2011 has been released and is getting rave reviews:

• "An amazing amount of super intriguing stories- how will I work the rest of the day!!!!"
• "I think it's easier to navigate ... there seems to be a bunch more photographs than in the past."
• "Well done- you should charge more $$$$."
• "The product keeps getting better every year.  Tons of fantastic content as always."

Kickoff supports the operations of all of our sites. It's the only content we charge for all season. Thousands of fans over the past seven years have recognized this and we hope you will agree:

Get Kickoff 2011!

I meant to purchase last night but it slipped my mind. Hopefully I will get to it tonight!

[Gregory Sager]

Of course it's contrived!  That's what happens when you deliberately make a mascot for a team nickname that doesn't have a physical manifestation.  Prior to the Nickname change for Wheaton (Wheaton used to be called the Crusaders prior to re-naming the teams the Thunder). I wouldn't have minded a goofy looking knight called "Knighty" walking around.

Be careful what you wish for, MB. This is Calvin's Knight mascot:



Pretty dorky-looking, if you ask me. (And a lot of Calvin supporters agree with me on that.) Plus, if you called it "Knighty", the lingerie jokes would be flying fast and furious from the opposing fans.

Or if North Park or Augustana want to hire Ragnar from the Minnesota Vikings.

The old tradition at North Park was to get some Scandinavian-looking male student, dress him up in the stereotypical fur-and-leather costume with the horned helmet, give him a sword, and have him function as the mascot. It was a logical approach to mascotry and a well-received one, because, instead of some cartoony Disney World costume that hid the identity of the person inside the suit, you knew exactly who was the Viking, a la Ragnar:



... except that the NPC Viking was almost always a blonde guy (except for a couple of years in the irony-laden '80s when we had an African-American cross-country athlete function as the Viking mascot; he was actually the most enthusiastic and crowd-rousing mascot we'd ever had since I came to NPC).

Unfortunately, there was a lull of a few years in which none of the hundreds of Nordic-looking guys on campus deigned to wear the fur suit and the helmet. Then the AD at the time -- who was a real nincompoop, but that's another story -- bought a full-on Disneyesque mascot costume, complete with cartoon Viking head. My feelings towards this costume were roughly the same as MB's are about Snuffleupagus, Jr. over there at Wheaton. Instead of a big, blonde, burly, genuine Viking dude, North Park now had one of the Seven Dwarves as a mascot.

The cartoon Viking lasted for a couple of years in the mid-'90s. After the AD left, a member of the athletic department staff took the costume out to the parking lot at Foster & Kedzie, poured gasoline on it, and burned it.

Mugsy, I feel your pain on being called a Wheatie.  But that seems a lot less than being called a Green Weenie!

We gotta come up with some really 'nasty' nicknames for all those freeloaders on the board!

Love it!  +k!!  Green Weenie definitely wins! 

Mugsy and I are negotiating what NCC partisans should henceforth be called.

Cardinals did not make the top 100!

I've always preferred to call them the Napervillains.

[matblake]

The cartoon Viking lasted for a couple of years in the mid-'90s.

Since I was at Wheaton at that time I actually remember the "Dwarf Viking", but had forgotten about him until you brought him up.  

[matblake]

Of course it's contrived!  That's what happens when you deliberately make a mascot for a team nickname that doesn't have a physical manifestation.  Prior to the Nickname change for Wheaton (Wheaton used to be called the Crusaders prior to re-naming the teams the Thunder). I wouldn't have minded a goofy looking knight called "Knighty" walking around.

Be careful what you wish for, MB. This is Calvin's Knight mascot:



Pretty dorky-looking, if you ask me. (And a lot of Calvin supporters agree with me on that.) Plus, if you called it "Knighty", the lingerie jokes would be flying fast and furious from the opposing fans.

I could even take dorky looking as long as it makes sense.  As far as the lingierie jokes go, good point.

[Stagg Again!!]

NCC's roster is up:

http://northcentralcardinals.com/roster.aspx?path=football

No Spencer Stanek.    Maybe that's old news?

Interesting.

No comment.  Let's just say he won't be playing this year.   

This is indeed interesting. I'm not as plugged in as I have been so I had not heard of this. I was anticipating Jordan Tassio moving from RB to QB (the position he played in HS) after last season, but it looks like he's still listed as a RB.

The 6-peat is on the shoulders of Crackel and the freshmen QBs. Good news is, there's a couple of very good freshmen. Max Matthews from South Bend St Joe's in IN and Tyler Dicken from Bloomington HS in IL, most notably (the latter's first cousin is former Purdue QB Billy Dicken). The freshmen obviously have talent, but if Crackel goes down will they be able to lead?

Stanek has been not been factored into the equation for eight months or so.  Crackel and Tassio are Options A & B, but look for one or both of the two kids to push their way onto the field this year.  Both have significant upside potential.

[AndOne]

NCC's roster is up:

http://northcentralcardinals.com/roster.aspx?path=football

No Spencer Stanek.    Maybe that's old news?

Interesting.

No comment.  Let's just say he won't be playing this year.   

This is indeed interesting. I'm not as plugged in as I have been so I had not heard of this. I was anticipating Jordan Tassio moving from RB to QB (the position he played in HS) after last season, but it looks like he's still listed as a RB.

The 6-peat is on the shoulders of Crackel and the freshmen QBs. Good news is, there's a couple of very good freshmen. Max Matthews from South Bend St Joe's in IN and Tyler Dicken from Bloomington HS in IL, most notably (the latter's first cousin is former Purdue QB Billy Dicken). The freshmen obviously have talent, but if Crackel goes down will they be able to lead?

Stanek has been not been factored into the equation for eight months or so.  Crackel and Tassio are Options A & B, but look for one or both of the two kids to push their way onto the field this year.  Both have significant upside potential.

I highly doubt Coach Thorne is ready to turn the Nation's #4 pre-season rated team's fortunes over to a freshman.
I believe we'll see Crackel as, by far, the primary signal caller on the field for the Cards this season. Tassio will be the #1 backup at the OB spot and will assume the position on a regular basis if Crackel sustains a long term injury.
No doubt Tassio will come on in relief at times if Crackel needs a rest or is ineffective. However, I believe Tassio will spend most of his time in the RB slot which affords the Cards the dynamic of his either running the ball or throwing off the option. Additionally, there is little doubt the Cards will sometimes snap directly to Jordan in the "wildcat" formation thus opening the triple option of his either handing off/pitching, throwing, or keeping. When Tassio is the QB or needs a break, we'll see a lot of the capable and dangerous Nick Kukuc (5.9 avg, 13 TDs).

I think the only way we'll see much of a frosh QB in varsity action for the Cards this season is if, God forbid, Crackel and Tassion both go down to long term injuries.

[Stagg Again!!]

I highly doubt Coach Thorne is ready to turn the Nation's #4 pre-season rated team's fortunes over to a freshman.
I believe we'll see Crackel as, by far, the primary signal caller on the field for the Cards this season. Tassio will be the #1 backup at the OB spot and will assume the position on a regular basis if Crackel sustains a long term injury.
No doubt Tassio will come on in relief at times if Crackel needs a rest or is ineffective. However, I believe Tassio will spend most of his time in the RB slot which affords the Cards the dynamic of his either running the ball or throwing off the option. Additionally, there is little doubt the Cards will sometimes snap directly to Jordan in the "wildcat" formation thus opening the triple option of his either handing off/pitching, throwing, or keeping. When Tassio is the QB or needs a break, we'll see a lot of the capable and dangerous Nick Kukuc (5.9 avg, 13 TDs).

I think the only way we'll see much of a frosh QB in varsity action for the Cards this season is if, God forbid, Crackel and Tassion both go down to long term injuries.

AndOne -- Agreed on all points.  I would expect the kids possibly see some time in the second half of the OC, CC, MU, and NPU games if there is sufficient margin.  Crackel certainly looked good at times last year (not including the IWU game) until he was injured mid-season.  Additional reps with the first string offense this pre-season coupled with last year's game experience should help.

Let's not forget a bigger stronger Denzel Thompson and young Ryan Kent coming out of the backfield with Tassio and Kukuc.  NCC has a lot of different styles and options (no pun intended) that they can employ out of the backfield. 

The real key for me will be the strength and depth of the OL.  Despite losing Kyle Antos and Jeremy Shaub, this year's group of "hogs" up front may just be bigger, stronger, quicker and much, much deeper.  If that proves out, Crackel will have more time to hit his targets and the holes will be that much bigger for the RBs.  I will be focusing on the point of attack when I am at the Redlands game as the Bulldogs had the 10th ranked DIII defense last year, including the 38th ranked rushing defense and the 11th ranked pass efficiency defense.

[matblake]

I will be focusing on the point of attack when I am at the Redlands game as the Bulldogs had the 10th ranked DIII defense last year, including the 38th ranked rushing defense and the 11th ranked pass efficiency defense.

Looking forward to your analysis Stagg.  Should be a good barometer of the line with the travel to Redlands and the high level of competition NCC will be facing. 

[matblake]

Happy Birthday, robertgoulet 

[robertgoulet]

Happy Birthday, robertgoulet 

Thank you, sir! Another year of living the American Dream! (paying off college debt, while working a job that didn't require college!)

[Always.A.Titan]

Tyler Dicken from Bloomington HS in IL, most notably (the latter's first cousin is former Purdue QB Billy Dicken).

You mean IWU Offensive Coordinator Billy Dicken.

Interestingly enough, Dicken has been at IWU for years of recruiting for both Andy Dicken (Millikin) and now Tyler Dicken (NCC). You would think IWU could keep some guys south of I-80 instead of pillaging the Chicago area talent.

[Always.A.Titan]

Mugsy, I feel your pain on being called a Wheatie.  But that seems a lot less than being called a Green Weenie!

We gotta come up with some really 'nasty' nicknames for all those freeloaders on the board!

Love it!  +k!!  Green Weenie definitely wins! 

Mugsy and I are negotiating what NCC partisans should henceforth be called.

Cardinals did not make the top 100!

I am surprised it was in the top 1000!! 

[Always.A.Titan]

I am excited that this board stuff is picking up again. Makes the work day that much better!